Overview
- TecLab modified a Galax RTX 5090 by replacing the factory 16‑pin (12VHPWR) plugs with three standard 8‑pin PCIe connectors, routing heavy‑gauge cables and rewiring the card’s sense pins to accept higher power.
- In livestreamed tests between Sept. 8 and Sept. 10, 2026, the single card drew up to about 900 W with peak currents above 120 A and reached clocks around 3,400 MHz while the team monitored voltages and temperatures.
- TecLab reported the 8‑pin cables and soldered connections stayed within the team’s thermal and electrical margins and in some setups ran cooler than the 16‑pin cable, though temperatures varied by configuration.
- Industry specs rate an 8‑pin PCIe connector at 150 W each, but the experiment pushed far beyond that rating, and publications emphasize this was a one‑off, community test not validated by NVIDIA, PCI‑SIG, PSU makers or GPU vendors.
- The change highlights ongoing reliability concerns with 16‑pin connectors that have caused melting incidents on high‑end GPUs and points to potential follow‑ups such as wider lab testing, certified cable designs, and renewed scrutiny from manufacturers and standards bodies.